Hayatullah Khan

48 results arranged by date

One year ago Raza Rumi, a TV anchor and widely-respected analyst in Pakistan, narrowly escaped death when gunmen opened fire on his car in an attack that killed his driver, Mustafa. When I wrote about the March 28 attack, the fourth on the Express Group in eight months that had left four people dead, I highlighted the lack of a police investigation.

4. Steps That Work and Those That Don’t

On May 3, 2011, CPJ representatives traveled to Pakistan to raise concerns about the increasing attacks against journalists there and the country’s high rate of impunity. It was a moment of drama: The previous day, American forces had killed Osama bin Laden in nearby Abbottabad. But Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari kept his commitment and met CPJ to discuss the growing number of Pakistani journalists murdered because of their work, and the absence of prosecution against the assailants.

Conclusion

Today the fight against impunity has reached an important juncture. There is awareness on domestic and global levels of the extreme peril posed to journalists and the public’s right to information when violence against the press is met with official inaction. The cries for justice by freedom of expression advocates have been amplified by the U.N.’s endorsement and its designation of the first International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

After more than a week since journalist Shan Dahar's death,
it remains unclear whether he was killed in an accident or targeted for murder--and
if targeted, why. The confusion serves as yet another example of how weak
investigations and a lack of accountability have become the hallmarks of
journalist killings in Pakistan.

Tags:

When Mick Deane was killed in Egypt on Wednesday, he became the 1,000th journalist documented by CPJ as having died in direct relation to his work. The photos above, a sampling of those who have died over the past 21 years, serve as a powerful reminder of the cost of critical, independent journalism.

Among
the more 200,000 Pakistanis living in London is Altaf Hussain, leader of the
Muttahida Qaumi Movement. This powerful political party is widely thought to be behind the murder of reporter Wali Khan Babar,
a rising star at Geo TV who was shot dead in Karachi in 2011. His coverage
focused on politically sensitive topics such as extortion, targeted killings,
electricity thefts, land-grabbing, and riots.

Tags:

Appendix

Journalists Killed 2003-2012: Motive Confirmed

CPJ research has determined that 42 journalists were killed in Pakistan in direct relation to their work from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2012. An additional 12 journalists were killed in unclear circumstances during the time period. Capsule reports on each death follow, beginning with cases in which CPJ has confirmed a work-related motive.

In case there was any doubt about the stance of Pakistani
authorities on the murder of journalists, UNESCO's 28th
biennial session offered an instructive insight. In addition to discussing
the U.N.
Draft Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity
during the meeting, held in Paris in March, member states were to report on
judicial inquiries into the killings of journalists from 2006 to 2009. Pakistan
was among 17 countries that did not respond to the request. It was also one of
three countries that refused to discuss the UNESCO draft, intended to take legislative
measures to combat attacks on the press. This was a reflection of our sad state
of affairs.

As journalists continue to be targeted, the government of Asif Ali Zardari has shown itself unable and unwilling to stand up for a free press. Whatever solutions exist will have to be found by people in the profession. By Bob Dietz